Multi-layered battery separators are disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,650,730; 5,240,655; 5,281,491; 5,691,047; 5,691,077; 5,952,120; 6,080,507; 6,878,226; and U.S. Patent Publication No. 20020136945.
While several of the foregoing references mention that multi-layered separators may be made by a co-extrusion process, in commercial practice, the co-extrusion process has been difficult to implement on a commercial basis. Particularly, the products of previous co-extrusion trials have been fraught with uniformity issues that have inhibited the commercialization of products made by that process. These issues, it is believed, arise from the intricacies associated with simultaneously extruding at least two dissimilar polymers through a narrow orifice die. Accordingly, the prior attempts to produce a co-extruded, multi-layered battery separator have yielded non-uniform product. As such, no co-extruded, multi-layered battery separators are commercially available.
Therefore, there is a need for a co-extruded, multi-layered battery separator having uniform physical properties.